FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -- Bayern Munich general manager Uli Hoeness isn't worried about his team missing out on first place as the Bundesliga heads toward its winter break.

He's more concerned about where the club finishes the season.

Eleven games into the season, the defending champion is having its worst start in 32 years and has already lost to leader Werder Bremen. Bayern has four defeats -- one more than the whole of last season -- and is in fifth place, six points behind Bremen.

"Bremen is playing well but in the end, we'll be ahead as usual," Hoeness said.

Bremen responded to the comment by winning 2-0 at Nuremberg, Germany, in midweek, while Bayern slumped to a 1-0 home loss to Hannover 96.

It was the first time Bayern had lost at home to a last-placed in 21 years, and Hannover's first win in Munich, Germany, for 18.

"We are in a precarious, difficult situation," captain and goalkeeper Oliver Kahn said. "We are having problems in the Bundesliga."

If Bayern doesn't improve soon, coach Felix Magath's team may be too far down to challenge for the title.

"It's a major deficit and it's our own fault," Magath said.

Bremen has scored nearly twice as many goals as Bayern and has 23 points. Stuttgart is second with 21, Schalke third on 20 and Hertha Berlin fourth with 17, ahead of Bayern on goal difference.

Bayern faces a difficult trip to Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday (GOLTV, 9:30 a.m. ET), while all other teams apart from Stuttgart have home games.

Bayern has looked lacklustre even when winning. Midfielder Mark van Bommel said this was not the time to think about playing the beautiful game.

"We have to take three points from Leverkusen, it doesn't matter if we play rubbish or magical soccer," he said.

Meanwhile, Schalke has been shaken by internal strife and coach Mirko Slomka appears to be in trouble. Slomka benched longtime goalkeeper Frank Rost for the last two games, although both deny an argument reported in several newspapers.

But Schalke players celebrated one of their goals in a 2-0 win over Moenchengladbach by running to the bench to embrace Rost, ignoring Slomka. He played down the incident after the game, but speculation persisted in the German media that Schalke managers may be looking for a successor.

Hamburger's latest loss, 2-0 at Stuttgart, Germany, contributed to its slide into the relegation zone with only one win and it is desperate to beat Moenchengladbach, which has lost four straight.

Hamburger, with many injured players, has yet to win at home, while Moenchengladbach is winless on the road.

Despite the slump, Hamburg coach Thomas Doll appears secure in his job at least until the winter break.

"It's peace in the house until Christmas," Hamburger chairman Bernd Hoffmann said.

BayernForum.com is an official fan club of FC Bayern Munich.
The views and opinions expressed within this site are those of the specified authors.
Externally linked content is the property of the relevant copyright holder.